Dialogue: Can you meet with me?
This dialogue is not yet available in Nattilingmiutut.
Vocabulary
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meets; he/she is in a meeting
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katimařut
meeting (they are...)
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mikšaani
about
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maligaq
law
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new
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qaŋa \ qaku
when? (past/future)
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humunngaqpat
at what time? (in the future)
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iłuaqtuq
good; convenient
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humi?
where?
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titirarvik
office
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katimavik
boardroom; meeting place
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atai
Come on!; Let's go!; Go ahead.
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Grammar
42 » Double (Transitive) Verb Endings
So far, we have been using simple endings with verbs:
| takuřunga |
| I see. |
| takuřara |
| I see him/her/it. |
The ending -řara- tells us both who is doing the action of seeing (I) and who or what is seen (him/her/it.). Inuktut has a whole series of what are called double verb endings. These endings describe both the person who is doing an action and the person on the receiving end of the action. For example:
| takuřagit | I see you. |
| takuřara | I see him /her /it. |
| takuřa'ma | You see me. |
| takuřait | You see him /her /it. |
| takuřaanga | He/she sees me. |
| takuřaatit | He/she sees you. |
| takuřaa | He/she sees him /her /it. |
The basic form of these affixes begins with a ř when added to a root that ends in a vowel. If these affixes are added to roots that end in a consonant, the -ř changes to t-:
| maliktagit | I am following him / her / it. |
| maliktara | I am following you. |
| tukihinngitta’ma | You aren’t understanding me. |
| ikajuqtaanga | He/she is helping me. |
43 » Double Verb Endings for Questions
In this grammar note, we look at double (transitive) verb endings for asking questions. These involve both a subject (the person performing an action) and an object (the person or thing on the receiving end of the action):
| tukihivit? (single verb ending) | Do you understand? |
| tukihivinnga? (double verb ending) | Do you understand me? |
Here are the simplest forms of these endings. Following a consonant sound, all of the double question verb endings begin with p- :
| ikajuqpagit? | Am I helping you? |
| ikajuqpara? | Am I helping him/her/it? |
| malikpinga? | Are you following me? |
| malikpiuk? | Are you following him/her/it? |
| malikpaanga? | Is he/she following me? |
| malikpaatit? | Is he/she following you? |
| malikpauk? | Is he/she following him/her/it? |
When adding the endings to roots ending in vowels, some of the affixes start with v...
| tukihivinnga? | Do you understand me? |
| tukihiviuk? | Do you understand her? |
| tuhaavauk? | Does she hear him/her/it? |
...and some of the endings begin with ř:
| qauřimařagit? | Do I know you? |
| qauřimařara? | Do I know her? |
| tuhaařaanga? | Does she hear me? |
| tuhaařaatit? | Does she hear you? |
44 » Doing something together
The affix -qati- is attached to a verb to indicate someone or some people who do something with someone else:
| pi + qati = piqati | |
| piqati | friend; companion |
| hana- | to work |
| hanaqati | co-worker |
| mumiq- | to dance |
| mumiqati | dancing partner |
| katima- | to meet |
| katimaqati | someone with whom one meets |
-qati is often followed by the affix -gi- meaning to have, which is in turn followed by a double verb ending:
| Susi ilinniaqatigiřara | Susi is my classmate (literally, I have Susi as a classmate). |
| uqaqatigiřanga | He is talking to him/her. |
| miqhuqatigiřanga | She is sewing with her. |
| katimaqatigiřungnaqpinnga? | Can you meet with me? |
| Taiviti hanaqatigiviuk? | Do you work with Taiviti? (literally, do you have Taiviti as a co-worker)? |
With regard to the last example above, when answering a question like this, the construction is usually simplified when you answer:
| ii, hanaqatiga |
| Yes, he is my co-worker. |
45 » Asking for something to be done
1. The Affix -junnaq- / -gunnaq- / -runnaq- / -tunnaq-
This common affix is used to express the idea of being able to do something. It changes depending on the last letter of the root that it is added to:
| qai- | to come |
| qaijungnaqpitik? | Can the two of you come here? |
| uqaluk- | to call |
| Piitamut uqalugungnaqpit? | Can you call Piita? |
| tiiliuq- | to make tea |
| Tiiliurungnaqpit? | Could you make some tea? |
| aqut- | to drive |
| aquttungnaqpit? | Can you drive? |
2. The Affix -qu
-qu- is an affix used to express the idea of wanting, asking or telling someone else to do something. It is folllowed by a transitive verb ending.
| aniquřaa | He/she asks him/her to leave. |
| ihiquguk | Tell him/her to come in. |
| uqaluquviuk? | Do you want him/her to call you? |
...or, a little more complex:
| Uvannut uqaluqujungnaqpiuk? |
| Can you have him/her call me? |